RH320 Red Hat Apache and Secure Web Server Administration

Course Outline

1. Introduction and Basic Apache Configuration:
• httpd overview: client/server topology, transactional overview
• History of web servers: NCSA, Apache evolution, The Apache Organization
• Apache today: usage, extensibility, process model, Red Hat's Apache packages
• Basic configuration: configuration files and options, basic daemon control
2. Apache Virtual Hosts:
• Understanding Virtual hosts: IP-based, name-based
• Configuration directives and syntax checking
• Using Apache to serve virtually hosted web servers
• Web server log files: formats, configuration, use and analysis
• Server MIME types
3. CGI and Server Side Includes:
• Understanding CGI: Definition, mechanics, limitations, common CGI languages
• Basic CGI requirements
• Useful CGI tasks: form processing, database manipulation, custom-built tasks
• SSI: similarities to CGI, .shtml implementation, Xbithack directive, examples
• CGI security: proper programming; suEXEC: file placement issues, configuration
4. Database backends:
• Available Databases
• Postgres: installation, administration, creating and loading a table; pgaccess
• Query and insert with SQL
• Implementations of query and insert in CGI
• Perl CGI.pm; DBD/DBI.pm
5. Apache customization through modules:
• Concepts
• mod_perl
• mod_php
• mod_status
• mod_usertrack
• mod_rewrite
• other modules
6. Security and authentication:
• Basic access control by host/domain/network
• Apache security strategies
• Implementing Web-based password authentication
• Authentication scenarios
7. Advanced Security with SSL:
   • Basic Cryptography and SSL concepts
   • SSL Certificates
   • Obtaining a website certificate
   • Implementing SSL with Apache